Saturday, August 14, 2010

Race Studies...

Last month I went to the shop on a Sunday. I went with the intentions of logging some hours in the studio and banging out heads. When I got to the shop and started to unload my tools, I realized I had left everything at home. So I decided to sit in my car and listen to the Stern show, which kept me occupied for a few hours. During those few hours I noticed a trend: There was a steady stream of Latino Americans parking their cars in SE Industrial and walking towards the Esplanade. The following day I asked my co-worker Ignacio why there were so many Latinos in the neighborhood. He told me there was a concert by some rock band that has a large following in Mexico. They were playing in a tent on one of the vacant lots that the city owns. So it all made sense. The Latinos came out in droves to the SE Industrial area to watch a concert by a Mexican rock and roll band. Here's some mental notes I took during my few hours of Latino gazing....

---A large majority of the guys had very ordinary cars with shiny after-market rims.

---A large majority of the guys had those new fangled MMA inspired t-shirts. Lots of skulls and lettering on the back. Lots of stuff going on with the t-shirts. I'm not sure where they sell these shirts, but I see them frequently. Next time I'm at Fred Meyer I'll look for them and try one on. I predict I'll feel like a tough guy but look like a douche.

---A large majority of the gals had toddlers in tow. The gals were also very small. Some of them appeared disgruntled and put upon.

---Much like 'The Jersey Shore', it seemed as though the guys put more effort into their appearance than the gals. I'm starting to think this is a trend that's not going to go away. I first became aware of the "guys turning into chicks" theory last summer when 'Jersey Shore' premiered. I noticed further evidence this summer when I spent a few days with my old pal Jason. Jason tans, talks about where to get good deals on clothes, wears jewelry, openly raved about the new hair product he just discovered, and he insisted on wearing sandals with jeans. Jason 1998 would have made fun of Jason 2010 for sure. And then the theory was reenforced recently with the Latino guys. Guys in this country are slowly but surely acquiring feminine traits, and it appears to not be relegated to a particular race. As evidence I point to the Italian Americans on 'Jersey Shore', the Latino Americans of the Portland area, and my white friend Jason.